I'd also consider myself to be a direct communicator and always think twice when reviewing someone's PR / doing code review. My team is completely remote and things can get awkward at times. Often, it may come off as unnecessarily harsh or may make it seem like I'm telling them what to do. Like it or not, the tone of the review can greatly influence the morale of the team.

I found this[1] to be a good resource. Another thing that has helped me is adding a prefix to my review. Classifying it as: suggestion, nitpick, props, etc. More about this here[2].

[1] - https://stackoverflow.blog/2019/09/30/how-to-make-good-code-...

[2] - https://emmer.dev/blog/code-review-comment-prefixes/

This blog post explores the challenges faced by blunt or direct communicators, particularly in the context of online communication, and proposes some effective strategies that have proven helpful.

I agree with the post, especially the premise at the start.

My problem though the verbal communication, I think I am way worse at verbal than I am with non-verbal.

an actionable guide that avoids moral judgments.